The use of suction attachment devices in the changing of light bulbs is well known in the art. These devices generally are in the form of a suction cup mounted to an extension or telescoping handle that allows access to light fixtures at varying elevations. The suction cup is made of a somewhat flexible rubber that when pressure is applied against the light bulb a vacuum is created against the light bulbs surface and the inside bottom surface of the suction cup which in turn allows the handle to be manipulated removing or inserting the light bulb then generally the seal formed by the suction action is released. An example of such a device is present in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,723 issued to Newman Sr., on Sep. 22, 1992. Another such device is U.S. Pat. No. 2,634,998 issued to Flower on Apr. 14, 1953 wherein the suction cup is mounted on a handle with a release mechanism for releasing the vacuum. Another example of this type of device is the U.S. Pat. No. 2,545,043 issued to Odenthal on Mar. 13, 1951 with the suction cup mounted to a handle with an internal pressure release that takes the form of a chain. Yet another example of this type of device is U.S. Pat. No. 2,243,106 issued to Limbert on May 27, 1941 where a suction cup is mounted to a handle with a release present to release the light bulb. All of these devices are very similar in that that require a pressure applied upon the cup and the light bulb creating a vacuum then after the desired manipulation of the light bulb the vacuum seal is released and the bulb is free from the device.
The present invention has a great advantage over this group of devices in that the instant invention has a power electrically driven vacuum pump that creates and maintains the vacuum around the bulb until the depressurization release is triggered releasing the cup and the vacuum from the bulb.
There is another group of devices that requires the evacuation of air from a device to form the vacuum in a cup by hand manipulation of a rubber bulb or by a plunger. The United States Patent issued to Maki on May 9, 1961 is such a device. By manipulating the rubber ball at one end of the device the air is evacuated through a passage that runs to the suction cup forming the vacuum that holds the bulb in the vacuum cup. U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,889 issued on Jun. 15, 1993 which also has a rubber bulb that is connected to the suction cup. When the bulb is manipulated it evacuates the air via an air passage that connects the rubber bulb and the suction cup. U.S. Pat. No. 1,024,286 issued to Santilli on Apr. 23, 1912 suggests both methods, that is, a rubber bulb for creation of the vacuum or a hand manipulated pump for the creation of the vacuum. These devices still fall short because they do not supply a continuously activated power driven vacuum as does the instant invention.